I'm personally not excited about Beats headphones, but I surely know it's a better deal than a free year of Apple Music which many MR readers recently hypothesized about for this years promotion. Apple is probably trying to move stalled inventory and they are not alone in being creative with items that don't sell well. Oh yeah, this promotion "beats" a blank which is what we were staring at until the article about Angela's video announcement earlier on MR.
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Apple Launches 2015 Back to School Promotion, Offers Free Beats Solo2 Headphones With Mac Purchase
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There are tons of Macs on my campus. Come Fall quarter the entire campus is going to be Beats Mania. When I bought my first MBP, I got a free $100 app store gift card which proved to be super useful. These? Not so much. You are getting a decent pair a headphones for free, so I can't complain.
You won't even be able to sell these in a week because eBay and Craigslist will be flooded with them. The price will drop dramatically. I feel sorry for anyone who paid full price and is legitimately trying to sell them now.
Da boom, thumpa thumpa, boom thumpa thumpa...
This is how a great brand dies, one misguided decision at a time.
This is how a great brand dies, one misguided decision at a time.
If it was Microsoft's Back-to-school promo, we'd be getting Windows Phones instead of Headphones.
I'm not sure which is less useful. I agree with earlier posters...a set of headphones is lame.
I'm not sure which is less useful. I agree with earlier posters...a set of headphones is lame.
I doubt it, it's just a high margin product which probably doesn't cost much to give away.
I'm not understanding why everyone is moaning about this. Walk into any school or college and dozens and dozens of people are wearing Beats headphones. This isn't instead of the standard education discount, it's in conjunction with it. Free is free - if you really hate them, just sell them on. You'll almost certainly get more than the gift cards they usually give out.
The thing is, I can easily sell these headphones on eBay and get more cash than the gift cards they used to give... Even after fees. This is actually better in my opinion... At least for me, since I know how to use eBay.
Also these are a free gift with purchase. If you do not want the headphones, don't buy a Mac... Simple concept.
Well if everyone hates this deal so much I would gladly take your headphones of your hands.
eBay will soon be flooded with these things. I wonder what the price will settle at..
If not for a secondary market, I'd value these things at $0. Listened to a pair once, and it was so bass-heavy, it seemed to lose all stereo effect and sounded like AM radio in a car with the treble turned all the way down, and the bass all the way up.
Edit: I haven't listened to this particular model. Perhaps it is an improvement. Still would put them on eBay.
If not for a secondary market, I'd value these things at $0. Listened to a pair once, and it was so bass-heavy, it seemed to lose all stereo effect and sounded like AM radio in a car with the treble turned all the way down, and the bass all the way up.
Edit: I haven't listened to this particular model. Perhaps it is an improvement. Still would put them on eBay.
Hmm.. Weird. I'm sure we'll get the same if not some kind b2s program in the EU (I hate saying EU like it's a country..).
99% of college student already have an Android or an iPhone and would have ZERO use for an iPod.
They will regret doing this. Wonder what brainiac at Apple came up with this lame brain idea. I'm told Beats headphones are the worst sounding cans on the market. Why would anyone be attracted to this dud deal?
You're told? I have a bridge to sell you.. Also, did you know the sky is green?
Just try Beats out in the Apple Store. If you don't like? sell them for $150-250 respectively.
You and everyone else, eBay will be flooded with them and they'll be selling for about $10 a pop!
I think it's interesting they're pushing the headphones specifically, instead of pushing your choice of $199 towards headphones, watch, an iphone, etc.
Sure she has to get her people ready. A back to school promotion is marketing not retail and Schiller doesn't work for her. She is executing not deciding though I'm sure she has a role in the decision making process.
As Apple owns beats, it obviously is not costing them very much to give away their headphones. This would not be the case with other manufacturers.
While I agree about the Beats headphones being crap (at least that's how I feel about them), from a business standpoint it makes perfect sense for Apple to promote their newest product acquisition. Especially since the promo is for Back To School. Kids and college students going back to school will like getting these Beats free.
For those of you complaining that Apple didn't give the gift card. Stop acting like this promo should be catered to your needs and wants. The fact remains that kids and college students buy Beats headphones and the Solo 2's are priced right inline with what Apple has offered in the past. So the rest of you, drop your Beats hate and recognize that this promo makes sense.
She's the one that relays all the retail information to the employees. Assuming that because she tells her staff about the promotions means that she is responsible for deciding them is quite a leap.
Look I'm not arguing specifics here. And I'm not here to argue it was a bad or good idea (I happen to like the idea whoevers idea it was).
I'm just saying that the person thinking Angela Ahrendts was involved was not wrong to think so based on the reference that I made. I don't give a rat's about who made the decision. Whoever did is a brilliant marketing genius.
It's a shame though, that the Macs have quite poor support for 3.5mm external headphones.
Noise cancellation is poor and the external mic won't work in Boot Camp. USB headset is really the only way to go, and there we come up empty with Beats at the moment.
Noise cancellation is poor and the external mic won't work in Boot Camp. USB headset is really the only way to go, and there we come up empty with Beats at the moment.
Like I said to another poster, if she doesn't have the metal to tell him its a ******** deal and explain why then she is not fit for the position. Retail is her baby. Maybe she doesn't care enough.